Pages: 114-114

ON THE EVE OF BLOODY SUNDAY
FROM
Both of these letters raise a question hotly debated in the foreign press as well: who is Father Gapon — a provocateur or a Christian socialist fanatic?

20766

ON THE EVE OF BLOODY SUNDAY.

We broke off our account of the course of the movement at the point where, on Gapon's initiative, a procession of working masses to the Winter Palace had been appointed for Sunday, January 9th, to present a "petition" to the Tsar for the convocation of a Constituent Assembly. The strike in Petersburg had already become general by Saturday, January 8th. Even official reports put the number of strikers at 100—150 thousand people. Russia had not yet witnessed such a gigantic eruption of class struggle. The entire industrial, commercial, and public life of this gigantic center of one and a half million inhabitants was paralyzed. The proletariat demonstrated in deed that it alone—and only it—upholds contemporary civilization; by its labor are created all wealth and luxury, upon it rests our entire "culture." The city found itself without newspapers and without lighting and without water. And this general strike bore a distinctly expressed political character, was the immediate prologue to revolutionary events.

Thus does an eyewitness describe, in a letter to us, the eve of that historic day:

"Petersburg, January 8th

"From January 7th the strike in Petersburg has become general. Not only all the major factories and mills have stopped, but also many workshops. Today, January 8th, not a single newspaper has appeared except the "Pravitelstvennyi Vestnik" and "Vedomosti S.-Peterb. Grad." The direction of the movement remains thus far in the hands of the Zubatovites. We are witnessing an unprecedented sight in Petersburg, and the heart is gripped with fear before the unknown—will the social-democratic organization be able to take the movement into its own hands, at least after some time. The situation is extremely serious. Throughout these days there are held daily mass meetings of workers in all districts of the city in the premises of the "Union of Russian Workers." Before them the streets are filled whole days with thousands of workers. From time to time social-democrats deliver speeches and distribute leaflets. These are received generally with sympathy, although the Zubatovites attempt to organize opposition. When

Lenin made a note here: "Letter No. 4 from K to L." Following this is printed the letter below, on which Lenin made notes: "Letter No. 4," "K" and "L." Ed.

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Lenin Collection XXVI